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International inheritances

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I am single with no children. I am considering appointing an animal protection association as the universal legatee of my estate. If it declines the bequest, can it choose who shall receive it instead ?

No. The will reflects the last wishes of its author. Therefore, if you appoint an association as the universal legatee, it has the option to accept or decline the bequest (Article 724-1 of the Civil Code). If it declines and you have not designated a secondary legatee, the rules of…
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After their retirement, my parents moved to Portugal, where they bought a house. My father has passed away, and we need to appraise this residence for the inheritance declaration. How should we proceed ?

Generally, when the deceased owned real estate, the value to be considered for the inheritance declaration is the market value on the date of death (Article 761, paragraph 1 of the General Tax Code and BOI-ENR-DMTG-10-40-20 §20). This is the value that would be obtained if the property were sold…
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I have just learned that my father is very indebted. To protect myself, can I already renounce his inheritance before his death?

No. Articles 720 and 722 of the Civil Code state that "inheritances open upon the death of the deceased" and that "all agreements aimed at creating rights or renouncing rights to all or part of an unopened inheritance or any of its assets only take effect if authorized by law."…
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I have a photocopy of a handwritten will. Can I use it as proof?

No. A photocopy of handwritten will is not valid because it was not written by the testator’s own hand, as required by law (Article 970 of the Civil Code). Courts have confirmed this (e.g., Cass. 1st Civ., 29 May 2013, No. 12-17.870).
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